Z3, 4, 7 and 6 are visible. You can barely make out Z5.
Z7, 6 and 5 Do have cover, so those rules will apply.
Initiative
----------------
Lash - Shoots
Mird - Shoots
Sarala - Hold Action
Dirk - Shoots
Zombie 7 - Trapped
Armand - Hold Action
Selena - Flare
Zombie 5 - Trapped
Zombie 6 - Trapped
Zombie 3 - Trapped
Thantos - Hold Action
Seeing the Zombies thoroughly entangled within the webs, Lash snap loads her crossbow and fires a shot across the hallway, straight into Z6 who seems to be struggling to escape the webs, only to get more and more bits of it's skin stuck to the sticky strands. (Z6 takes 8 Damage).
Mird's vision again fades to blackness except a single small circle of light as he zeros in on Z7 and lets fly his arrow, it cleanly piercing the zombie's neck to shatter it's backbone, popping it's head from it's body and causing the whole thing to slump down against the strands of the web and become stuck fast, unmoving. ()
Dirk launches his heavy crossbow, the metallic twang and resonation of the heavy metal prong on the bow releasing it's deadly bolt, sizing to life as it flies through the air, audible all the way down the hall. The bolt whizzes through the air to smack straight into Z3 sizzling through it's body and lodging against a rib. The bolt obviously damages what's left of the internals of the zombie as it basically collapses in it's own webbing. ()
A muted burst of light flashes from within the webbing as Selena's flare spell flashes in front of the Zombie and fades.
Thantos fires an acid dart at one of the entangled zombies.
Dirk readies another bolt with ease, and lifts his crossbow for another attack!
Selena flings her dagger at one of the approaching zombies (Z5), hoping it will hit a vital organ.
With a wicked grin Lash hefts a fask of alchemist fire, huling it at the formost tangled zombie.
*Click* *Fzzzzz*
*Click* *Fzzzzz*
*Twang* *Fzzzzz*
At a steady pace, crossbow bolts and arrows go wizzing off the bows of Dirk, Mird, and Lash while the rest of you watch. While most of the shots look like they're going to find their targets the majority of them seem to end up stuck in a web or making immaterial glancing blows to the web's occupants, who obviously do not feel pain. The angle of fire seems just wrong to get an arrow in to do any real damage against the target.
"The hell with this." Lash mutters. "Get ready!" She shouts as she pulls a small stoppered and sealed glass vile with an orange viscous liquid in it from a special holder within her belt pouch.
Dropping her crossbow she takes the glass vile and cracks the seal around the stopper with her thumb nail, loosening it just slightly. Almost immediately you see the liquid within start to roil and broil, bubbling like a mini swamp. Wasting no time Lash hucks the fragile missile weapon at the nearest zombie, figuring that even if it doesn't hit and break, at the least the stopper will pop out and the effect will work anyway.
She needn't have worried. Where the arrows and crossbow bolts failed, her toss succeeds...crashing against the face of the closest zombie. The tinkle of shattering glass is followed by a bright orange flare as the alchemical liquid contained in the now destroyed container ignites with exposure to air and flames leap up from the now brightly burning zombie like a torch in the night.
Immediately the webs surrounding the closest zombie also ignite, flames licking and burning down each strand as first one, then the next, then the next zombie are also set ablaze from the flames of the burning webs.
"Those webs won't last more than a couple of seconds. Prepare for battle with the queen." Armand says quietly from behind the group while the 7 of you watch the last 4 zombies go up in a pyre of flame and smoke.
Selena sheathes her sword and takes out the healing staff again, then finds the dagger she threw, if it is not damaged beyond repair.
"We should move quickly. The spell I cast on Dirk will not last much longer."
"They're probably alongside the walls waiting to ambush us as we go through the door. Sarala and I are probably the fastest of us. If we charge through at full speed and get into the center of the room we can draw some of their attention for the rest of you to get in, we'll also make it so they're facing us from two directions. Dirk and Mird can eter next, covering us and hitting them from behind giving our casters protection."
As she speaks, Lash retrieves her crossbow, slinging it over her shoulder while holding her rapier ready.
Dirk nods in agreement of Lash's plan, then looks at Armand, "Stay near me my friend."
Sliding his Elven blade out of it's sheath, Dirk readies himself for the charge.
As the flames burn and what's left of the charred corpses that used to be animated collapse into little more than dust and bone, the webs that used to completely cover the hall are burning back farther and farther until they are practically cleared up to the doorway.
The seven of you start moving forward, weapons drawn, almost catching up to the burning webs as the door into the queen's room clears of it's obstruction.
Standing side by side in the doorway is the queen, looking more insane than ever, and Blackmaer, weapons drawn and awaiting their opportunity.
Blackmaer's handsome face, marred only by his broken nose, seems drawn and taught, as if worried but resigned, his great two handed blade moving through a familiar dance and spin, constantly in motion creating a blur of movement, a true blade master's dance. The queen's face shows nothing but an insane glee as she raises her sword and steps into her first attack.
With the tiniest pause to survey the situation Thantos begins chanting, his eyes wide in concentration.
With a spectacular display of athleticism Lash surges forward vaulting herself into the air to sail over her opponents vaulting over shoulders and springing off of torsos to enter the room her somersaulting form moving deep into the room to draw the enemy's attention afay from the door
Acrobatics
Thantos
Ilyana
Mird
Sarala
Dirk
Zombie 1
Lash
Blackmaer
Armand
Selena
Bernal
Zombie 2
Due to held action last round, Thantos is the top of the stack.
Dirk skids to a halt as he unexpectedly finds the evil Queen and Blackmaer blocking the doorway. Determination and fury etch his face as he raises his curved Elven blade in defiance of the Queen!
"Blades of Hell!"
Selena casts another flare, targetting Blackmaer. Fort Save DC 14
Attacks for the Round
--------------------------
Dirk: Please make a Will Save.
Thantos snaps off a magical chant that you swear is somehow funny and points toward Blackmaer who looks confused momentarily before beginning to laugh. Fighting to maintain his battle stance, Blackmaer starts laughing harder and harder, beginning to heave for breath and doubling over. While he does manage to maintain his grip on his sword, he quickly falls over onto the ground, laughing hysterically and uncontrollably.
Seeing her companion go down, Ilyana's face goes red with rage as she steps into her attack and slices a deep line down Dirk's breast plate, cutting another deep gouge in the metal and severing several straps. (Dirk takes 12 damage). "Even if you cut me down you've lost! My army is still above me, you have no hope of making it out of the keep alive. Even if you do, my associates own this region. None of you will ever live to see your homelands again! You will be hunted like animals!"
Realization and a Stunned expression seeps across her face as she realizes that in her rage and intent to get at Dirk, she's left herself open to Blackmaer's "pet". Sarala steps forward and uses one clawed paw to catch a rent in the insane woman's armor and uses her other paw to slap her across the face, leaving deep gouges in her cheek. .
And turning her so her shield becomes useless as Dirk steps into his attack. Up goes the big sword and down it comes. Ilyana attempts to back-step the blow but only manages to dodge part of it as the huge blade misses her neck and slams into the plates of her breastplate. While the blade doesn't seem to damage the plates (other than making a rather large dent in the chest piece) several snaps and cracks signal the massive force behind the blow did have an effect on the heavily built woman...her breathing immediately seems to come in gasps and she starts wheezing badly.
As Dirk clears the line between Mird and his target, two fast *twang* *twang* sounds emerge from his bow as two arrows zip just over Dirk's head and zip past the queen's ears to thud straight into the eye-sockets of the zombie behind the Queen...snapping it's head back as it falls inanimate to the floor.
Lash takes a leap over Blackmaer's now prone form and using his side as a springboard, vaults over the other zombie as she lands on her feet and turns with her blade drawn.
The zombie she vaults, however, is quicker than she remembers and she takes a ringing blow to the head as the zombie slams his fist into her ear.
The two priests go into chants at the same time, vastly different chants as Dirk feels two effects fall over him at the same time. The first is Armand's and a feeling like an energy wave flows through Dirk as some of his wounds close.
Conversely, Bernal then finishes chanting and Dirk immediately feels a stiffness enter his limbs.
Selena conjures another brilliant flash of light, flare, targetting at the queen's face. (Fort DC 14 or dazzled).
Shaking her head to clear the ringing Lash sees the enemy spell caster target Dirk with some unknown effect, no doubt seeking to eliminate their strongest sword.
Launching herself into another tumbling pass she dives into a roll taking her smoothly past the zombie to come up running.
Acrobatics
Her momentum takes her right at Bernal's back, driving her rapier into the spell caster in an attempt to eliminate his spellcasting from the equation.
Confirm crit
With the adrenaline rush of battle making each moment seem to pass in slow but fluid motion, Thantos instantly starts another spell, this time targeting the queen's caster, Bernal.
Dirk once again feels the fingers of magic, only this time the sensation is one of forced intrusion. He tries to fight off the attack, but this is a battle not fought with strength and agility - it is a battle he is ill-prepared to fight.
Dirk once again feels the fingers of magic, only this time the sensation is one of forced intrusion. He tries to fight off the attack, but this is a battle not fought with strength and agility - it is a battle he is ill-prepared to fight.
Doubling his resolve Dirk shakes off the violating mental attack and immediately re-engages the Queen.
Memories of Armand's Torture, your almost defeat and rout at the hands of these evil people, their working with the organization that caused you all to be here in the first place, and the general suffering of the region strengthens the resolve of each of you as you focus on the battle and step up your attacks.
Thantos snaps a quick chant and immediately Bernal seems to stop moving, looking around like he has no idea what's going on. (Bernal is affected by Thantos's Daze spell and loses his action for the round).
Mird plucks off two more shots in rapid succession at the second Zombie, pinning the target with both shots and sending it crashing to the ground as he did with the other zombie. (Z2 takes 14 points of damage and goes down.)
Lash goes into another dive and roll past the now falling zombie to come up right behind Bernal, her rapier leading she pierces his lower back with her stab. (Bernal takes 7 Damage from the stirke and 3 from the Sneak Attack since his daze will deny him dex bonus.)
Blackmaer continues hysterically laughing on the floor, unable to move or act.
Dirk takes a swipe at Ilyana, missing her completely. Realizing she is losing this battle, Ilyana makes a desperate move, stepping forward and smacking Dirk's two handed blade out wide with her shield she drives the tip of her longsword into his lower abdomen, partially piercing his armor and causing a deep wound. (Dirk takes 13 points of damage from Ilyana's Attack).
Looking past the pain of her blade into Ilyana's eyes, Dirk sees only resignation, death and gloating. "I die, but you cannot win." she whispers as Ilyana's desperate attack leaves her wide open to Sarala's counter. One claw catches on the back of Ilyana's armor, pulling her almost backwards off her feet and leaving her neck fully exposed while her other claw rakes across it, effectively slitting Ilyana's throat. (Ilyana takes 16 total damage from Sarala and goes down.)
Selena goes for Ilyana's sword, aware that if the Orcs were still fighting, the goblins would be a tough enemy to beat while they were under the sword's control.
Lash presses the attack giving the spellcaster no opportunity to freely cast.
Grimacing in pain, Dirk moves as quickly as he can to disarm Blackmear.
Thantos has always loathed magic casters who use their craft for evil and he is unable to hide a sneer of disgust as he draws his dagger and plunges it into Bernal's side.
Dagger attack vs Bernal:
Damage: